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1974–75 Ashes series
The 1974–75 Ashes series consisted of six cricket Test matches, each match lasted five days with six hours of play each day and eight ball overs. It formed part of the MCC tour of Australia in 1974–75 and the matches outside the Tests were played in the name of the Marylebone Cricket Club. Ian Chappell's Australians won the series 4–1 and "brutally and unceremoniously wrenched the Ashes" from Mike Denness's England team. Chappell's team was labelled the "ugly Australians" thanks to his hard-nosed captaincy, intimidatory fast bowling and constant sledging as "Rod Marsh and his captain Ian Chappell would vie with each other in profanity". The 1974–75 Australians are remembered as one of the toughest teams in cricket history and in particular for the hostile fast bowling of Jeff Thomson and Dennis Lillee. Wisden reported that "never in the 98 years of Test cricket have batsmen been so grievously bruised and battered by ferocious, hostile, short-pitched balls". Lillee had injured his back in 1973, but now returned to Test cricket with 25 wickets at an average of 23.94, but the real surprise was Thomson whose javelin throw bowling action generated exceptional pace and rearing bouncers that gave him 33 wickets (17.93). They received generous support from the fast-medium bowler Max Walker with 23 wickets (29.73) and the off-spinner Ashley Mallett with 17 wickets (19.94) and Australia won four of the first five Tests. Greg Chappell had already established himself as a world class batsman and cemented his reputation with 608 runs at an average of 55.27 and a record 14 catches. The opener Ian Redpath spent over 32 hours at the crease for his 472 runs (42.90) and Doug Walters became the first batsman to make an Ashes century in a single session since Don Bradman. The Australian fielding was exceptional as "almost everything that left the ground was caught and ... had a swallow flown within reach of the Australian fieldsmen ... it would have done do at its own risk". Denness's form deserted him for most of the tour and he became the first captain to drop himself from a Test match. The England batsmen were battered and bruised to such an extent that in one game a local player was used to make up an XI. The 41-year-old Colin Cowdrey was sent to reinforce the team on his record sixth tour of Australia and opened the England innings in the second Test at Perth a few days after his arrival and without any match practice. The first day of the third Test at Melbourne was held on Boxing Day in an Ashes series for the first time, now a cricketing tradition. It was Australia's first series victory over England for ten years and the experience proved popular as 777,563 spectators came through the gates and paid nearly a million Australian dollars for the privilege. Ironically, England won the One Day International and with Lillee and Thomson unable to bowl in the Sixth Test, Denness made 188 – the highest score by an England captain in Australia – and his team won by an innings. First Test – Brisbane | team2 = | score-team1-inns1 = 309| runs-team1-inns1 = I.M. Chappell (c) 90 G.S. Chappell (vc) 58| wickets-team1-inns1 = R.G.D. Willis 4/56| score-team2-inns1 = 265| runs-team2-inns1 = A.W. Greig 110 | wickets-team2-inns1 = M.H.N. Walker 4/59 J.R. Thomson 3/59| score-team1-inns2 = 288/5 (dec)| runs-team1-inns2 = G.S. Chappell (vc) 71 K.D. Walters 62* R. Edwards 53| wickets-team1-inns2 = R.G.D. Willis 3/45| score-team2-inns2 = 166| runs-team2-inns2 = D.L. Underwood 30| wickets-team2-inns2 = J.R. Thomson 6/46| result = won by 166 runs| venue = Brisbane Cricket Ground, Woolloongabba, Australia| umpires = R.C. Bailhache (AUS) & T.F. Brooks (AUS)| motm = | report = scorecard| rain = | }} Result Australia won the First Test by 166 runs to take a 1–0 lead in the series, though a little more effort from England could have denied them an important victory. Worse for them Dennis Amiss, John Edrich and David Lloyd had broken hands, Keith Fletcher a badly bruised arm, Bob Willis a groin strain and Peter Lever had injured a side muscle. Before they left Brisbane the tour selectors sent back to London for a replacement batsmen and asked for the 41-year-old Colin Cowdrey. Cowdrey was highly regarded by the MCC team and in particular by Mike Denness, who had succeeded him as captain of Kent. In his 20 year Test career he had faced the fast bowling of Keith Miller, Ray Lindwall, Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith, Ian Meckiff, Gordon Rorke, Neil Adcock and even the young Dennis Lillee. Although the Australian press was aghast at such a recall – Cowdrey had not played a Test in four years – the tourists were keen to have a man with the technique and strength of purpose to play the fastest of bowlers. The attendance over the five days was a record 62,000, easily beating the old one of 42,000 as the facilities at the Gabba had been greatly improved over the wooden stands and barbed wire 'concentration camp' of yesteryears. Second Test – Perth | team2 = | score-team1-inns1 = 208| runs-team1-inns1 = A.P.E. Knott (wk) 51| wickets-team1-inns1 = K.D. Walters 2/13 G.S. Chappell (vc) 3 Ct I.R. Redpath 3 Ct | score-team2-inns1 = 481| runs-team2-inns1 = R. Edwards 115 K.D. Walters 103 G.S. Chappell (vc) 62| wickets-team2-inns1 = C.M. Old 3/85 A.P.E. Knott (wk) 3 Ct and 1 St| score-team1-inns2 = 293| runs-team1-inns2 = F.J. Titmus 61| wickets-team1-inns2 = J.R. Thomson 5/93 G.S. Chappell (vc) 4 Ct| score-team2-inns2 = 23/1| runs-team2-inns2 = I.R. Redpath 12*| wickets-team2-inns2 = G.G. Arnold 1/15| result = won by 9 wickets| venue = Western Australia Cricket Ground, Perth, Australia| umpires = R.C. Bailhache (AUS) & T.F. Brooks (AUS)| motm = | report = scorecard| rain = | }} Result Australia won the Second Test by 9 wickets to take a 2–0 lead in the series. It was the first time that Australia had won two Tests in a series against England since 1961 and the first time that they had been 2–0 up against the old enemy since 1958–59. Third Test – Melbourne | team2 = | score-team1-inns1 = 242| runs-team1-inns1 = A.P.E. Knott (wk) 52| wickets-team1-inns1 = J.R. Thomson 4/72 R.W. Marsh (wk) 3 Ct| score-team2-inns1 = 241| runs-team2-inns1 = I.R. Redpath 55 | wickets-team2-inns1 = R.G.D. Willis 5/61 A.P.E. Knott (wk) 3 Ct| score-team1-inns2 = 244| runs-team1-inns2 = D.L. Amiss 90 A.W. Greig 60| wickets-team1-inns2 = A.A. Mallett 4/60 J.R. Thomson 4/71 I.M. Chappell (c) 3 Ct| score-team2-inns2 = 238/8| runs-team2-inns2 = G.S. Chappell (vc) 61| wickets-team2-inns2 = A.W. Greig 4/56| result = Match drawn| venue = Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia| umpires = R.C. Bailhache (AUS) & T.F. Brooks (AUS)| motm = | report = scorecard| rain = | }} Result Australia and England drew the Third Test, leaving Australia with its 2–0 lead in the series. Though England had yet to pass 300 runs in an innings in the series they had shown that they could reduce Australia to their level and it was a considerable improvement over the defeats at Brisbane and Perth. One Day International – Melbourne | team2 = | score-team1-inns1 = 190| runs-team1-inns1 = G.S. Chappell (vc) 44 I.M. Chappell (c) 42| wickets-team1-inns1 = C.M. Old 4/57| score-team2-inns1 = 191/7| runs-team2-inns1 = D. Lloyd 49 D.L. Amiss 47| wickets-team2-inns1 = A.G. Hurst 2/27| result = won by 3 wickets| venue = Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia| umpires = R.C. Bailhache (AUS) & T.F. Brooks (AUS)| motm = I.M. Chappell (c) and D.L. Amiss| report = scorecard| rain = | }} Result England won by 3 wickets and Ian Chappell and Dennis Amiss were made the two men of the match for their entertaining innings, even though they were not the top scorers. Oddly, the result was almost a mirror image of the first One Day International, when England had made 190 and Australia 191/5. Fourth Test – Sydney | team2 = | score-team1-inns1 = 405| runs-team1-inns1 = G.S. Chappell (vc) 84 R.B. McCosker 80 I.M. Chappell (c) 53| wickets-team1-inns1 = G.G. Arnold 5/86 A.W. Greig 4/104| score-team2-inns1 = 295| runs-team2-inns1 = A.P.E. Knott (wk) 82 J.H. Edrich (c) 50| wickets-team2-inns1 = J.R. Thomson 4/74| score-team1-inns2 = 289/6 (dec)| runs-team1-inns2 = G.S. Chappell (vc) 144 I.R. Redpath 105| wickets-team1-inns2 = D.L. Underwood 2/55| score-team2-inns2 = 228| runs-team2-inns2 = A.W. Greig 54| wickets-team2-inns2 = A.A. Mallett 4/21| result = won by 171 runs| venue = Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia| umpires = R.C. Bailhache (AUS) & T.F. Brooks (AUS)| motm = | report = scorecard| rain = | }} Result Australia won by 171 runs to win the series 3–0 with two Test to play. They recovered the Ashes having lost them four years before on the same ground in the 1970-71 Ashes series and Greg Chappell equalled Bobby Simpson's record of 13 catches by a fielder in a Test series. Fifth Test – Adelaide | team2 = | score-team1-inns1 = 304| runs-team1-inns1 = T.J. Jenner 74 K.D. Walters 55| wickets-team1-inns1 = D.L. Underwood 7/113| score-team2-inns1 = 172| runs-team2-inns1 = M.H. Denness (c) 51| wickets-team2-inns1 = D.K. Lillee 4/49 A.A. Mallett 3/14 J.F. Thomson 3/58| score-team1-inns2 = 272/5 (dec)| runs-team1-inns2 = K.D. Walters 71* R.M. Marsh (wk) 55 I.R. Redpath 52| wickets-team1-inns2 = D.L. Underwood 4/102| score-team2-inns2 = 241| runs-team2-inns2 = A.P.E. Knott 106* K.W.R. Fletcher 63| wickets-team2-inns2 = D.K. Lillee 4/69 M.H.N. Walker 3/89| result = won by 163 runs| venue = Adelaide Oval, Adelaide, Australia| umpires = R.C. Bailhache (AUS) & T.F. Brooks (AUS)| motm = | report = scorecard| rain = | }} Result Australia beat England by 163 runs to take a 4–0 lead in the series. Greg Chappell had taken a then record 14 catches in a Test series and Jeff Thomson 33 wickets (17.93), a record for an Australian fast bowler. Sixth Test – Melbourne | team2 = | score-team1-inns1 = 152| runs-team1-inns1 = I.M. Chappell (c) 65| wickets-team1-inns1 = P. Lever 6/38 A.P.E. Knott (wk) 3 Ct| score-team2-inns1 = 529| runs-team2-inns1 = M.H. Denness (c) 188 K.W.R. Fletcher 146 A.W. Greig 89 J.H. Edrich (vc) 70| wickets-team2-inns1 = M.H.N. Walker 8/143 R.W. Marsh (wk) 3 Ct| score-team1-inns2 = 373| runs-team1-inns2 = G.S. Chappell (vc) 102 I.R. Redpath 83 R.B. McCosker 76 I.M. Chappell (c) 50| wickets-team1-inns2 = A.W. Greig 4/88 P. Lever 3/65 G.G. Arnold 3/83 A.P.E. Knott (wk) 3 Ct| result = won by an innings and 4 runs| venue = Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne, Australia| umpires = R.C. Bailhache (AUS) & T.F. Brooks (AUS)| motm = | report = scorecard| rain = | }} Result England beat Australia by an innings and 4 runs, but still lost the series 4–1 and with it the Ashes. It was the first time that Australia had beaten England since the 1964 Ashes series and at home since the 1958–59. Mike Denness's 188 was the highest Test century by an England captain in Australia and, until Alastair Cook made 235 not out in 2010–11, the highest century by an England batsman in Australia since Wally Hammond's 231 not out in 1936–37. Alan Knott took six catches in the match and made his 200th dismissal in Tests, only the second wicketkeeper to achieve this feat after Godfrey Evans (219). 1974–75 Test Series Averages source References * Ashley Brown, A Pictorial History of Cricket, Bison Books Ltd, 1988 * Ian Chappell, Austin Robertson and Paul Rigby, Chappelli Has the Last Laugh, Lansdowne Press, 1980 * Patrick Eagar and Graeme Wright, Test Decade 1972/1982', World's Work Ltd, 1982 * Tom Graveney and Norman Miller, ''The Ten Greatest Test Teams, Sidgewick and Jackson, 1988 * E.W. Swanton, Swanton in Australia with MCC 1946–75, Fontant, 1977 * Alan Synge, '' Sins of Omission, The Story of the Test Selectors 1899–1990'', Pelham Books, 1990 * Frank Tyson, Test of Nerves, Test series 1974–75 Australia versus England, Manark Pty Ltd, 1975 * Bob Willis and Patrick Murphy, Starting With Grace, A Pictorial Celebration of Cricket 1864–1986, 1986 External links * CricketArchive tour itinerary Category:The Ashes Category:International cricket competitions from 1970–71 to 1975